Maxi Kleber isn’t a name that typically jumps off the Lakers’ roster sheet. Most nights, he’s logging minutes in garbage time, flying under the radar and doing the kind of work that rarely makes the highlight reels. But against the Sixers, with Jaxson Hayes out due to suspension, Kleber got his shot-and he made it count.
This wasn’t just a solid outing. This was Maxi Kleber’s most impactful performance in purple and gold.
The box score reads modestly: 4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists. But if you watched the game, you know those numbers barely scratch the surface.
Kleber played 26 minutes and finished with a team-best +23 in the plus-minus column-a stat that, in this case, tells the real story. He was everywhere: crashing the offensive glass, switching onto guards, bodying up bigs, and setting the kind of screens that don’t show up in fantasy leagues but win you games.
The moment that summed it all up came in the final minute. The Lakers were clinging to an eight-point lead, needing one more bucket to shut the door.
LeBron James delivered the emphatic exclamation point with a rim-rattling dunk-but it was Kleber who made it happen. As LeBron drove into the paint, Kleber set a textbook Gortat screen on Joel Embiid, subtly but effectively keeping the Sixers’ star from challenging the play.
No push, no foul-just smart, savvy basketball. And as LeBron slammed it home, Kleber raised his hands to show the officials he’d done it clean, then pumped his fists in celebration.
That’s winning basketball.
After the game, Marcus Smart-someone who knows a thing or two about doing the dirty work-didn’t hesitate to give Kleber his flowers.
“The ultimate professional,” Smart said. “There’s a reason why Maxi is still in this league, still going.
It’s the reason he’s on this team and why we celebrate him the way we do. He comes in every day, no matter what, and gives that effort.”
Smart’s words carry weight. He’s built his career on hustle, defense, and intangibles, and he sees a kindred spirit in Kleber.
Whether it’s two minutes or 20, practice or game time, Kleber shows up the same way. That consistency, that professionalism-it matters.
Especially on a team that’s trying to build chemistry and identity down the stretch.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick echoed that sentiment.
“Maxi, it doesn’t matter if he’s played and had a big impact and then is a DNP the next game… his spirit, his approach, his being a teammate and rooting for other people, it never changes,” Redick said. “For all our guys, he’s an easy guy to root for.”
And that’s the thing: Kleber’s role might be small on paper, but it’s huge in the locker room. He’s a tone-setter.
A veteran who leads by example. The kind of player young guys watch to learn what it means to be a pro in this league.
So no, Maxi Kleber isn’t going to light up the scoreboard. But against Philly, he did what every team needs from its role players: he stepped up when his number was called, made winning plays, and left his fingerprints all over a big-time victory.